Friday, January 20, 2012

Coming to my senses...

Employing that pleasing dichotomy of minimal with steam-punk in my outfit today... yeah? Dichotomy. Is good stuff.Now, I've had a re-think. And thank you all for helping me to come to my senses! I did feel a little out of my comfort zone after posting yesterday, and after sleeping on it I felt even worse about it ...The specific cost of my personal things is, I have decided, personal. It feels very uncomfortable for me to be publicising it. That's just the way I was brought up, so I'm not going to excuse that. Even amongst my closest friends I would not dream of announcing how much an outfit cost. That would be like extreme bad manners... so why did I think I would be OK with doing the same on the blinking internet?? (face palm)Besides, the numbers I put down here are meaningless to most people who might even read my blog, apart from other Australians. And only fellow Perthies will understand about the fabric and yarn limitations here... And I do not want to attract judgement, condemnation or pity from the inevitable comparisons, which I would certainly do if I really started publicising how much things actually cost here... so I will be keeping tabs on my clothing creations this year, in exactly the guidelines I laid down yesterday, but I will probably be keeping the figures to myself.Unless I change my mind again :) A woman's prerogative, you know.... ;)

Details:Top; top "b" from Unique Clothes Any Way You Like by Natsuno Hiraiwa, white cotton, details hereSkirt; Vogue 7303, ivory wool-mix suitingSandals; Micam by Joanne Mercer; from Hobbs shoes

Really like that outfit! And even if it's difficult to find fabric in Perth I cannot tell from your creations. I always find myself wishing I had some of your fabrics. You obviously have a really good eye :-)

Good call. I used to list the price of everything I wore, in an effort to show how easy it is to have style on a budget...but one girl's budget is another girl's fortune, and visa versa, so after a while it just got uncomfortable.

Is it OK that I'm just flat out jealous that you have that necklace? I actually stared at it long & hard when Don first listed it...although honestly, it looks better on you than it would have on me! Mine will come to me at the right time.

I don't mind if you talk about money or not. Either way is ok with me. I didn't think you were crass or anything. Of course, I am an American, and I have an MBA, I worked for some time in procurement. So I probably am very crass about money in terms of discussing it. I'm always looking for a good deal and giving other people pushy advice about how they can get a "good deal" on whatever. Here in London, people probably give me a little slack due to my foreign accent and their low expectations of me in the first place!

I think you should stick with what makes you confortable, maybe at the end of the year you could give us an average cost per garment or some other stats, I think it is personal, I have looked through alot of blog posts that do document how much things cost, and like you said, with varying currency rates its hard for me to convert! I do think it is a good idea to keep an eye on it for ourselves because like I said yesterday I can easily spend as much making something as buying ready to wear, after only two garments and I've figured that out. But for me, its that I can't buy things that fit me the way I want so like you said the cost of making it IS personal. I just LOVE the necklace, did you make it?

Interesting that you should have such an about face, given that my scan of all the comments you got were quite supportive; also the comments you have at changing your mind agree with your decision. I find that quite amusing, really! I was raised that it would be rude to ask how much someone's salary or other income was and that it would be strange to announce this to any other than a very close friend if even them. However, to discuss the relative costs of things doesn't seem that private to me. It's just sharing information which may or may not be useful to others. Being a very frugal person I am quite interested in the cost of things and feel it is important to know how to make choices. That you once needed to be careful with money is a common experience amongst many of us; whether you still need to be careful or not is again, just information, not material to how I would view you as a person. What I do know is that you sew beautifully and that you look good in what you make. If you choose to give information about the cost of things, I'm fine with that; if you choose not to, well, that's OK too. Blogging to the world does sometimes feel quite 'exposing' and if sharing financial info is uncomfortable, then I see no reason for you to do so.

I completely understand that you might want to keep the numbers to yourself. I went back and forth between the issue myself, but decided to just publish "the damage" because I knew that my readers wouldn't say anything to hurt my feelings. I also felt like I needed to make it public; in a sense I felt like I needed to put myself in a position where I'd have to do better this year, and I couldn't see that happening without throwing the numbers out there. At the end of the day though, the most important thing is that our consumerism remains examined - and that examination can be equally effective as a private enterprise.

Hi Carolyn. I love, love, love your blog. I've been following you for a long time because I am an avid admire of your style.It doesn't bother/effect me one way or the other if someone chooses to break down the fiscal details of their made garments. But one thing I feel is missing when this is done is the number of hours and the hourly rate. Veronica's breakdown is fantastic but if multiplied by the low end of a local dressmaker's rate of $15/hr. that would amount to $3015 which is a bit higher than Waves expenditures. Another sewist just posted that her blouse cost her $5 to make. It also took her 6 hrs. At minimum wage rate of $7.25/hr., the blouse would be close to $50! It's cotton. It's sleeveless. It's a beautiful colour and fits her well. So while I admire those who keep track of their expenses, I am not one of them. I barely keep track of yardage in/out. I think many of us sew because we like an exacting fit, an original creation and because sewing, with all is frustrations-highs & lows, brings us absolute joy! That feeling can never be measured in dollars & cents.

Hi Carolyn! Thanks for the links though in your past post, I got a lot of traffic my way!

I trust anything you write and make here! You're amazing, and terribly unique!

My ethos has always been thrifty, and I don't like buying 'things' that clutter... I sometimes feel my friend's see that as 'stingy' instead of mindful, but oh well... it only matters what you think about yourself anyways.

All girls are entitled to a change of mind - and you have to go with what you find comfortable. Just keep posting the sewing please!

By the way, if I was allowed to choose I don;t know if I would prefer to run away with that fabulous necklace or your adorable looking dog (don't tell me he/she eats shoes please - but I would love to know the name!)

You're right Carolyn, it really doesn't make sense to others monetary realities... And I have no idea of the prices of the fabrics in my stash... I have a little piece of silk that I love so much that I'm affraid to cut. It has more than 25 years... yeah! At this time I was short of money, so I bought something like 1 meter... And I cant cut sleeves or something. Now, I'm waiting to loose some kilos to sew a thing...

If some others are worried about money, you don't have to. You're just making your clothes with your own money, that's ok. Beijos.

I often have a similar reaction when I reveal something that I decide is too personal after all. I think we all do that as bloggers sometimes. Although I am lucky to be near a major garment center of the world and find incredible deals on fabric overruns there, most people have to buy their fabric at retail prices online so we really can't compare costs. Also sewing is our art and it's not all about saving money.

I can totally understand your about-face, and I've certainly had awkward nights after a few posts, but as a fellow Aussie it was interesting and reassuring to read how much your garments had cost. I applied your rules to a couple of things I'm finishing up at the moment, as well as toting up the time spent, and it just confirmed that this sewing hobby is not a cheap or quick one for me. And THEN on top of that I had to pop into Target to look for school uniforms, and their clothes were on sale... I don't think I can justify buying any more fabric for t-shirts now!

Having decided to follow your accounting methods, this post is food for thought!

I realised though I would be uncomfortable advertising the price of an entire outfit (too personal, no one else's business), the cost of what goes into making a garment is to me, more in the lines of technical information like the technique I used on a zipper or what interfacing I used.

I have no idea why I feel this way! It seems quite arbitrary actually. Takes all types... :-)

Anyway, thanks for the reply about accounting the entire price of the pattern even if I only used the sleeve. I find I agree.And funny enough am thinking another as-yet unused pattern's sleeves would look good on an older TNT pattern! Hmmm, I must have a bit of a thing for sleeve patterns.

As for fabric and yarn limitations, I was sadly disappointed when visiting Perth last August. Spoiled by trips to south-eastern capitals, I automatically expected a similar variety laid out for my delectation in Perth. After all, Perth is one of the big southern capitals, right?

In the end I figured either I had missed some really well-kept fabric secrets, or Perth suffered the same remote city dearth of choice that Darwin does.

On the bright side, Perth (and Freo where I was staying) is so very beautiful, seemed quite liveable, and has a darn sight better climate than here!

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